The Executed Sage Reincarnates as a Lich and Begins a War of Aggression

Chapter 124: The Sage is Invited by the Previous Demon Lord

About 70 days later, the entire territory of the Republic was liberated by humanity.

The Demon Lords Territory soon returned to its former size, and the neighboring nations were lively with their victory.

The appearance of the heralds had also played a major role.

The Valkyrie and the Steel Knight fought greatly on the battlefield.

According to the reports I had heard, their strength was equivalent to a thousand men.

The existence of hope that took a physical form invigorated humanity.

The people greatly welcomed their presence.

Because of such hope, there were even rumors floating around that the Demon Lord was already dead.

It was probably because I didnt present myself on the battlefield.

Grom was furious because of such rumors.

It seemed he took it as an insult towards me.

Since he wasnt exactly wrong, I couldnt fault him.

There was even a time when he tried to destroy the nation that started the rumor.

I had a hard time convincing him not to do so.

If Grom ever got serious, no nation would stand a chance against him.

Before his overwhelming power, only death would await them.

Since humanity had only finally regained their hope, it would be a bad move to deny them this early on.

Besides, it wasn't my preferred way of doing things.

They also simply wanted to come up with a more convenient interpretation of events.

Otherwise, they would be mentally exhausted.

People just didnt want to accept a reality wherein the Demon Lord destroyed the world using an army of undead.

They want to believe the rumor that the source of all evil was dead.

I had seen such a world about ten years ago.

Additionally, this liberation drama produced good results for the Demon Lords Territory.

In the first place, our defeat was planned.

As our territory shrank, our surveillance range became narrower and it became easier to manage too.

It was clearly excessive to have claimed the whole Republics territory.

Even though we were forced to do so in the situation, there were many disadvantages to it.

By abandoning the excess territory, the current Demon Lords Territory regained stability.

There were various campaigns to seek independence within the territory, but the succubi led by Luciana did a dark maneuver to suppress the damage to a minimum.

More specifically, they charmed the influential people in the territory and instructed them not to go against the Demon Lords army.

We did not turn them into mindless puppets but merely redirected their thoughts for a bit.

Still, it was astoundingly effective.

In addition, by sending undead to some cities, the citizens no longer rioted against us.

As the instigators were taken care of by the undead, the citizens soon became docile.

They calmed down at the threat of the undead before them, and it seemed that the warning was clearly received.

The citizens within the territory were quickly reminded of the terror which was the Demon Lords Army.

That was a good thing.

If they underestimated us too much, some people might attempt foolish things.

I needed to give them a gentle warning from time to time.

Despite the slight commotion, the Demon Lords Territory was still able to operate without any problems.

Meanwhile, the liberated territory of the Republic was divided into smaller plots of land.

The nations who participated in this war would manage a plot of land each.

I thought it would lead to a major dispute, but it seemed they decided it without any disagreements.

However, it has been said that none of the nations wanted to take the plot of land which bordered directly with the Demon Lords Territory.

It was because they didnt know when I might retaliate.

It seemed that they didnt want to station their precious fighting forces in those dangerous regions.

In the end, said plot of land was, on paper, managed by the Holy Scepter Kingdom.

The truth was they had withdrawn their army from the land, and left it half-abandoned.

People who were afraid had left the area as well and turned into refugees.

On an unrelated note, it seemed that the northern region of the previous Demon Lord's Territory was conquered by other nations before reports had reached us.

It had now become a shared territory of the Holy Scepter Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom.

It seems that they invaded the area in the midst of the liberation war.

It was a region that connected them to the Republic.

Although that place was a barren wasteland, it posed as a strategically important location.

The two nations must have been willing to secure it at all costs.

However, the lord of the previous Demon Lord's Territory, Diella, didnt seem to care much about it.

She considered neither sanction nor retaliation.

She only cared that her own dwelling didnt get intruded on.

Even if the northern region got stolen from her, she wasn't bothered or pained about it.

In fact, Diella rarely used that land on the previous Demon Lord's Territory when she still didnt have her own dwelling then.

She tried to build one there once, but it collapsed in less than three days due to torrential rain and wind.

This bit of information remained in my memory because she had reluctantly slept at the Demon Lords Castle that day.

After that, she had been sleeping in the ruins of the wasteland. 

But she frequently visited the Demon Lords Territory.

I thought she might as well live here permanently, but Diella didnt do that.

Even when I casually suggested this to her, she rejected all of my proposals.

According to her, she'd hate to live dependent on someone.

I guess that was her pride talking as the previous Demon Lord.

Although she was already quite dependent on us as it was, she must have her own standards about it.

I decided to just avoid mentioning such matters.

Putting Diellas matter aside, the movements of the other nations were exactly what I wanted them to be.

While minimizing their own casualties, they were currently completely prepared to go against the Demon Lords Territories.

It could be said that they finally managed to overcome a big hurdle.

People in the capital were worried as they heard reports of consecutive losses, but those defeats were minor.

In every battle, other than the liberation war, the Demon Lords Army remained victorious.

They seem to have learned from my past actions and nobody was worried about my possible defeat.

It seemed I had built a reputation worthy of the Demon Lord of this generation.

One morning, I went to the library.

The paperwork had finally settled down, so I thought to spend my time reading some books.

It was good to have a day off like this sometimes.

Taking a break was also important.

As I walked around while picking up books, I heard the entrance door open.

It was rare to have a visitor during this time.

The number of people who could enter would be limited, but who could it be?

As I stopped by the shelves and waited, the two visitors soon showed themselves before me.

It was Diella and Grom.

It was an odd combination.

I have seen them interact, but it was rare to see them together.

Diella, who walked around as if she owned the place, greeted me in a friendly tone.

Dwight, Ive come.

I can see that.

Demon Lord-sama, Im terribly sorry. I tried to stop her, but she kept insisting on meeting you

Grom bowed down and apologized.

He must have tried to stop her many times.

Since I felt sorry for him, I said something to console Grom.

Dont worry. It can't be helped since it is Diella you were up against.

What do you mean by It cant be helped since it was me? 

Diella held her fist up threateningly as she was upset by what she had heard.

Grom quickly came in between us with a large stride.

The flames of his eyes shook as he placated her.

O' Predecessor. Demon Lord-sama was just stupefied by your choice of words and actions unbecoming of one such as yourself.

Nuh, you sure said it clearly

This is the library, if you want to quarrel, do it elsewhere.

I warned both parties.

If a fight were to break out, it would be the library that receives the most damage.

I couldnt have them destroying the books here.

Once they stopped moving, I turned to Diella and asked.

Since you came to visit me, did you need something?

Thats right, I almost forgot about it.

Diellas smile grew wider.

I somehow had a bad feeling looking at her expression.

She then pointed at me and loudly declared.

We're holding a feast among the executives tonight. You must participate no matter what.